New Delhi [India], August 21 (ANI): Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Friday accused the Congress of trying to "ruin the future of children and students" and hit out at Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his sit-in outside the Parliament Street Police Station, calling it "cheap, attention-seeking politics."
Nadda's remarks came after Rahul Gandhi, along with Congress leaders and Sahil Lochav, who has alleged that pellet guns were used against him during the July 20 protest, today staged a sit-in outside the Parliament Street Police Station and demanded registration of an FIR.
Addressing the press conference, Nadda said, "Now, the Congress party is bent on ruining the future of children and students as well...Rahul Gandhi must realise that the public has clearly recognised his 'hit-and-run' attitude and political hypocrisy. No matter how much drama he creates, the Congress cannot escape its sins or evade accountability. The people are demanding answers, and he will have to answer to them."
Targeting Rahul Gandhi over the protest, Nadda said the Supreme Court has constituted a five-member high-powered committee headed by a former judge to probe the July 20 incident in the national capital and alleged that the Congress leader was indulging in "camera-centric drama merely to keep himself in the headlines".
He alleged that Rahul Gandhi had indulged in "cheap, attention-seeking politics" outside the Sansad Marg police station. He said the Congress leader's sit-in protest today is neither for the students nor for the sake of justice
The Union Minister said, "The entire nation is once again witnessing the kind of cheap, attention-seeking politics that Rahul Gandhi displayed today outside the Sansad Marg police station. Rahul Gandhi's sit-in protest today is neither for the students nor for the sake of justice; it is a symbol of the Congress party's political desperation and Rahul Gandhi's hunger for media attention."
"The whole country knows that the Supreme Court has already taken cognisance of the July 20th incident and has constituted a five-member high-powered committee headed by a former judge. When the country's apex court is investigating the matter, what does Rahul Gandhi hope to prove by sitting in front of cameras outside the police station? Does the Leader of the Opposition lack faith in the country's judiciary? The truth is that Rahul Gandhi is staging this 'camera-centric' drama merely to keep himself in the headlines," he added.
On Thursday, the SC constituted a five-member High-Powered Expert Committee (HPEC), headed by retired apex court Justice R Subhash Reddy, to conduct a fact-finding exercise into allegations of police excesses as well as violence by protesters during the recent Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led demonstrations.
The committee comprises former Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha, former Delhi High Court Justice Shalinder Kaur, former CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla and former Meghalaya DGP LR Bishnoi.
Nadda also accused the Congress of attempting to divert public attention from criticism surrounding the Vande Mataram issue.
"If we consider the timing of this entire drama, we realise that the Congress party is currently facing intense criticism across the nation over the issue of 'Vande Mataram'. The public is demanding answers from the Congress regarding the disrespect shown to the national song, especially as a senior Congress leader was seen cutting a cake designed to look like the Tricolour. To conceal this anti-national face of his and to divert attention from the massive embarrassment he has faced, Rahul Gandhi has hastily orchestrated this new drama as a distraction," Nadda said.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the party's demand was simple and that an FIR should be registered over the alleged use of pellet guns on Lochav during the July 20 protest.
"Our demand is simple - register an FIR and give us the FIR number. Sahil has made a genuine demand that an FIR should be registered. LoP Rahul Gandhi is giving voice to this demand. Sahil has demanded an FIR on the illegal action of using a pellet gun by the police. Rahul ji is clear that until a new FIR is registered, we will not leave from here (Parliament Street PS). What we are doing is as per the Constitution," Ramesh told reporters. (ANI)
"Congress bent on ruining future of children, students": JP Nadda slams Rahul Gandhi over Parliament Street protest
